


Darkness, Imprisoning Me

by ItsyBitsySakuPaku



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Not Beta Read, Rated for language even though its like two/three swears, heavily implied that Kabu has some form of PTSD but I didn't wanna be super disrespectful, no beta we die like men, this fic is based on a fucking headcanon and an idea so I went with it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:16:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28079793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsyBitsySakuPaku/pseuds/ItsyBitsySakuPaku
Summary: "He awoke, screaming out in what could only be explained as a mix of shock, panic, and pure horror. He could feel everything all so suddenly once again. His heart was pounding. His chest heaved with every loud, shaky, uneven gasp for air he took. His eyes were blown wide. He could feel the sweat dripping down his body, soaking the already damp bed sheets beneath him. It took him a while to rationalize his thoughts and realize what had happened."Aka Kabu has a nightmare. Allister also has a nightmare. Fluff and angst ensues.
Relationships: Kabu & Onion | Allister
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	Darkness, Imprisoning Me

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is heavily headcanon based! I heavily headcanon that Kabu served in the military when he was in his 20s. And my friend headcanons that Allister's parents died in a car crash when he was four, or something along those lines. But either way I took my interpretation of things and ran with it!
> 
> Title is based off of the song One by Metallica!
> 
> If you're sensitive to anything like mentions of guns, violence, depictions of pain, negative final thoughts(?), car wrecks, implied animal death(??? since pokemon are like animals sorta?), slight swearing, implied self-harm, scars, and anything regarding the military, then please read with caution! Or don't read it! I just want all you guys to be safe and make sure you know what you're getting into! Stay safe, my lovelies! ♡♡♡
> 
> Speaking of which, this fic also isn't meant to be my actual legitimate opinions on the military and war whatsoever. I just thought the general idea was kind of neat to play with and experiment with. This is just how I personally choose to write the characters. So keep that in mind while reading!

The sounds of gunfire and explosions going off in the distance rung heavy in his head. He could hear hundreds of men shouting, barking orders, screaming. And yet he couldn't do anything. He laid there, a sharp, burning— no, scorching hot pain in his left shoulder, left leg, and to the right of his rib cage. He cried out in pain. He could feel the hot tears pouring from his eyes.

And yet, it all faded to black, darkness imprisoning him. He couldn't see a thing. And yet everything was so loud. He could hear everything. He could feel everything. He felt two— no, four— no, eight gloved hands lifting his body off of the ground. He could hear their panicked voices, the sounds of their boots scuffing against the ground with each step they took, the fabric of their uniforms sliding and making soft noises as well. He thought this was how it would end. At least he risked his life fighting for the betterment of his country.

But was it really? Why was he even fighting anyway? There was no need for this war. There was no need to fight. No need for the violence, the guns, the loss of so many innocent lives. Lives of men and women who had families back home. Who had to learn of their passing. Who had to find ways to cope. There really was no need for all this needless bloodshed. And yet, he never realized it until his dying breath.

Ah, so this really was how it ends. Even in his last moments he had left to live, it'd be in nothing but shame, agony, guilt, and regret. A man with no immediate family, no wife or children, no one to consider as such, dying for nothing. He knew this was what it'd come to. He knew he was damned to suffer, even in his final moments. He could feel his conscience fading. Everything felt hazy. He felt light and airy. Everything. Everything would all fade to black in the end.

And then he woke up.

He awoke, screaming out in what could only be explained as a mix of shock, panic, and pure horror. He could feel everything all so suddenly once again. His heart was pounding. His chest heaved with every loud, shaky, uneven gasp for air he took. His eyes were blown wide. He could feel the sweat dripping down his body, soaking the already damp bed sheets beneath him. It took him a while to rationalize his thoughts and realize what had happened.

Ah, it was a nightmare.

Another nightmare? He hadn't had those in quite some time. He hasn't fully healed from that yet, he supposed. He'd often just had nights where he couldn't even remember what he had dreamt of nowadays. But alas, it seems the darkest days of his life had come back once more to haunt him. To break him down and destroy him. To bring him back to that very same state where he didn't even feel alive. He felt like he was rotting away, like he was nothing more than a lost soul inhabiting this husk of a once softer man, who should very well have died in the moment he believed he would.

But he couldn't have that. He was a gym leader for god's sake. He couldn't keep letting this happen. He had challengers to fight, a gym to watch over, pokemon to care for, and friends to worry about.

Centiskorch popped out of its pokeball, immediately crawling its way to Kabu's side. The pokemon made a soft noise of concern, as it gently rubbed its head up against his arm. I'm here, you're safe was what it was trying to say.

It took him a while, but eventually Kabu slowly raised his hand, softly petting Centiskorch.

He was here. He was alive. He was okay.

He heaved a sigh, just Centiskorch's quiet chirps, and the warm, comforting heat from the pokemon was enough to put him at ease for now. But, he knew damn well he likely woke up a good few others in the house. It'd been storming quite frequently in Galar recently, and because Melony was concerned about everyone's safety, she invited the other gym leaders, plus a few notable others to stay in her surprisingly giant, almost mansion like house. So, that's why he was there in the first place.

Damn, he felt pretty guilty. He just had to have horrible nightmares— no, not even nightmares at this point. Vivid flashbacks to what was likely one of his lowest points in his life— when he just so happened to be staying over at Melony's place? Ah well, he'd just have to apologize in the morning. Maybe consider another visit to his therapist while he was at it.

His throat felt dry.

He needed water.

Kabu held his arm out, Centiskorch crawling up his arm, and resting on his shoulders, as he slowly moved to the side of his now sweat-drenched bed, standing up. His muscles felt a bit sore, but he couldn't really bring himself to care right now.

He swiftly— and quietly— made his way out the door to the guest bedrooms— one of many, many more— that Melony was letting him use for the time being, and out into the hallway. Making little to no noise, Kabu wandered through the hallway, passing by a few more of the guest rooms. He paused for a moment, some rustling coming from one of the rooms. And, sure enough, he watched as one of the doors slowly opened. Raihan was the one to peek out into the dark hallway, locking eyes with Kabu.

"Aye, Kabu. Everything alright? Lee and Piers heard you screaming. I told 'em I'd see what was up." Raihan said quietly, rubbing his eyes.

Kabu nodded, exhaling. "Mhm. I'm... I'm fine. Just another nightmare." He explained.

"Ah, shit. Seriously? You haven't had those in a while." Raihan frowned, worry clear in his expression. "Do you need me to stay up with you?"

"No, I'll be alright. Thank you... For the offer though." Kabu shook his head, Centiskorch chirping softly once again.

"A'ight. If you're sure... I'm gonna be heading back to bed. G'night, Kabs. Take care of yourself, eh?" Raihan mumbled, yawning inaudibly, before silently retreating back in his room, once again leaving the older man alone in the dark hallway, the only light being the dim moonlight that shone through the windows, and the soft flames on Centiskorch's face.

Kabu sighed once more, continuing his tiring trek to the kitchen. He eventually reached the stairs, which lead to the downstairs area of Melony's house. So, very, very cautiously, he carefully stepped down the stairs as quietly as he possibly could. After, what, maybe three minutes or so, he finally got to the bottom of the steps.

And, silently, he finally made his way into the kitchen, as sweat continued to drip down his body. He reached an aching arm up to one of the cabinets, opening it, and grabbing a glass cup. Wiping the sweat from off of his forehead, a few strands of his hair sticking to the sides of his face from just how soaked he was in his own sweat, he wandered over to the fridge, sliding his cup in a small slot to fill the cup with ice, then fresh water.

Then, immediately, he brought the now cold cup of water up to his lips, leaning his head back slightly, as he took a long, lengthy drink from it. He lowered the cup for a moment, taking a deep breath, then exhaling, as Centiskorch peeked up at him, lightly nuzzling his cheek in a comforting manner.

God, he felt like shit.

He wanted to go back to bed, but, he really wasn't tired. And, to be honest, he was a little afraid of going back to sleep. Who knows if he'd have another nightmare? Besides, his bed is soaked. He felt gross about trying to sleep in that bed again until he got fresh sheets. It was just another thing that reminded him of his days back in the navy. Well, the least he could do is at least head back to his room.

However, just as he was about to, he heard the faint rustling of clothes. Still shaken up over what had happened mere minutes ago, Kabu swiftly turned around to see who was there.

It was Allister.

"Allister?" Kabu felt a little less tense, as he realized it was just the young boy.

"What're you doin' up outta bed? Did I wake you?" The older man asked, running his fingers through his hair, just so it wasn't sticking to his face anymore.

"A little... Umm..." Allister looked down at the floor. "...I— Umm... I kind of... H-Had a nightmare. But, you— You woke me up from it..." He explained.

Ah. Allister was in a similar situation as he was right now.

"I... I— Umm... Heard you screaming. I wanted to make sure you weren't hurt." The boy mumbled softly, lightly fumbling with the end of the sleeve of his pyjama shirt.

"Nah, I'm alright. I had a nightmare too. Well, I guess... It was more intense than that. But, I don't know how else to explain it." Kabu said, taking another drink from his cup of water. He took a swift glance at the clock on the microwave.

4:07 AM.

He exhaled once again. It was far too early to go out for a walk. He didn't have much else to do though. But, now Allister is awake. So he has to look after him now.

"Are you hungry or thirsty, Allister?" Kabu asked.

Allister nodded. "A little... I— Umm... I kind of want... Milk and chips. If... If it's not too early to have them, I mean..."

"Don't worry, of course you can have that. I'm pretty sure most of the chips are Raihan's and Gordie's. But, I'm sure they won't mind if you have a few of 'em." Kabu half-joked, stepping over to the kitchen pantry, opening the door, and yanking out a bag of chips.

He closed the door, before handing the chips to Allister. "Here. I'll get you some milk in just a moment."

"...Thank you, Mister Kabu..." Allister said, smiling just a little from under his mask.

Kabu went right back over to the fridge so he could dig out the milk for Allister. As he was grabbing another cup, however, Allister spoke up.

"Umm... Those... Those scars. Are... Are those from— You got them back when you... Were in the military, right?"

Kabu paused for just a few seconds, before pouring some milk into the cup for Allister. Right, pretty much the only thing he wore to bed was just a pair of loose-fitting shorts. His scars were on full display. "Mhm, got it in one. Well, for the most part. A couple of 'em, right down here on my arm... Those were my fault... Self-inflicted. Let's just leave it at that." He explained. "But, yeah. The ones right up on my shoulder, on my thigh, and right here on my side... Those are all my 'epic battle scars'. At least that's what Gordie and Bea like to call them."

"That sounds scary..." Allister murmured. "You're really brave, Mister Kabu... I know a lot— A lot of us here don't have the courage to... To go fight like that. I... I think that's really cool to have courage like that."

Kabu couldn't help but smile a little. "...S'real sweet of you, Allister. Thank you." He reached up to pet Centiskorch, the pokemon chirping affectionately, as he handed the glass of milk to Allister. "There. Now you have your chips and milk."

"Mm. Th-Thank you, Mister Kabu..." Allister mumbled, before— albeit hesitantly— removing his mask for a moment, so he could take a small sip from the cup of milk.

"How about we get you back to bed? It's awfully early for a youngster like you to be up." The older of the two said.

Allister shook his head. "Don't wanna... I'm not tired... A-And I'm... A little scared. I don't wanna go back to bed..."

Kabu frowned. So he and Allister really were in the same situation here...

"Then, how about we go sit down on the couch for a while, until you feel safe enough to sleep again? How's that sound?" Kabu suggested.

Allister nodded this time. "Okay..."

Kabu guided Allister out of the kitchen, and into the living room, over to the couch so the two of them could sit down.

"Do you wanna watch anything on the television? It's late, but I'm sure Mels and Gordie must have something interesting recorded that we can watch." Kabu said, as he sat down.

Allister sat down beside him, shaking his head. "Not really... I just— K-Kind of want to sit in the dark for a little. The television is too bright..." The boy replied, before taking another sip of milk.

Kabu nodded, reaching up to gently pat Allister's head. Allister hummed, smiling slightly, as he carefully opened his bag of chips, and ate one.

"Do you wanna talk about what happened in your nightmare...?" The older man asked.

Allister nodded, setting his bag of chips, and his cup of milk on the coffee table in front of Kabu and himself. "Umm... There was... Th-There was a car. My— My dad was in it. I— I was in it too. But I was in the back... It was dark out. And— And, then suddenly the car crashed, a-and..." He sniffled. "My— My dad... He— H-He was... A-And his pokemon... They— They were—"

"Allister," Kabu's voice cut Allister off. "That's... I think that's enough for now. You seem like you're working yourself up pretty bad over it." He said.

"I-I'm sorry..." Allister mumbled, his voice cracking slightly. "It just... I-I... It's scary..."

"I know, Allister. I know..." Kabu gently pulled Allister close, into a soft hug. Centiskorch crawled down Kabu's arm, and onto Allister's shoulders, lightly nuzzling his cheek to try to comfort him a little.

Kabu felt Allister tense slightly, just for a moment, before relaxing again, wrapping his bony, frail arms around the older man's waist. Kabu gently rubbed Allister's back, as the much smaller boy quietly wept, only his soft intakes of breath audible.

"It's alright, Allister. You're alright. You're safe... Everything's okay." Kabu whispered, trying his best to comfort Allister.

And it carried on like that for about ten... Maybe twenty minutes. Just Kabu gently rubbing Allister's back, Centiskorch squeaking quietly, trying its best to help Allister calm down, while Allister wept softly.

And, eventually, Allister's breathing returned to its normal state. Which, in itself, put the much older man at ease. However, he felt the boy's grip on him loosen. Centiskorch lightly nudged the boy's cheek, before chirping quietly once again.

Ah, Allister had fallen back asleep.

Kabu sighed, but, a more content sigh this time, a soft smile on his face. At least Allister managed to get back to sleep, even if he was a little afraid to. Doing something, even if you're afraid... In Kabu's mind, that is pure bravery. Allister, to Kabu, was brave. Even if Allister himself didn't believe so.

Kabu leaned his head back, so he could stare up at the ceiling, as Centiskorch crawled down, to rest on Kabu's lap. He replayed what he said to Allister in his mind.

He's alright. He's safe. Everything is okay.

He's alive.

And he was happy.

He was happy to be alive.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh geez! I hope you all enjoyed! This is my first time writing for Kabu and Allister, so I do apologize if they were OOC or anything! I tried to study their speech patterns and personalities, while also writing them in a way that fits my headcanons for them!
> 
> Also, I really do hope I wrote both Kabu and Allister in a way that was respectful,,, If I screwed anything up, I swear I don't mean any offense or disrespect! I'm still learning how to write this stuff.
> 
> Anyway, if you all have any constructive criticism, please let me know! I'm always trying to improve my writing! See y'all in the next fic! Bye bye, my lovelies! ♡♡♡


End file.
